While Clinton Jokes, Americans Aren’t Laughing

Democrat Candidate Hillary Clinton started her political campaign with what seemed like an easy nomination. She had the campaign experience from 2008, a position in the president’s cabinet under her belt, and a platform that could win over much of the minority vote, particularly for women. When the New York Times first broke the story that while serving as Secretary of State, Clinton had used a personal server for what could be classified emails (which is illegal). She quickly deleted her entire server, and laughed off the entire uproar as a political witch hunt led by Republicans to create a scandal where there was none. Even just a week ago, she made a joke about her recent use of SnapChat, jabbing at the fact that the pictures could just “disappear.” She found, however, that few others were laughing at this, and that the situation is much more dire than she wants people to believe.

While Clinton continues to be cool and collected about the fact that using a personal email to send classified information is being compared to the severity of Watergate and the demise of President Nixxon’s political career, she no longer is getting full support from her Democrat comrades. In an interview with Chuck Todd, California Governor Jerry Brown said the emails have a “dark energy” around them. While he made it sort of a joke comparing it to a vampire plot, the jokes are slowly losing their bite, and people are increasingly suspicious of the politician who is seeking the highest level of political office in America.

The FBI is investigating the emails, and retrieved the server that has already been wiped clean. Even if proven completely innocent and free of any charges, the controversy surrounding the emails and the distrust that many Americans now feel towards Clinton, on top of the Benghazi confusion, makes the candidate seriously vulnerable so early in a presidential race. While there is still another year for more information to surface, she is already trying to make up space that has been lost. Instead of people talking about her platform, they are talking about if she is innocent or not. That is no way to strongly start a campaign, especially after a Democrat president. People are tired of what they perceive to be corrupt Washington politicians, and while she may joke about the entire investigation, Americans are no longer laughing.